Pickup delegate
The pickup delegate feature lets customers authorize another person to pick up an order on their behalf. Instacart sends messages via SMS to delegates that inform them they've been authorized and provide order status updates. After delegates arrive at the fulfillment store, Instacart also shares their name with store associates via the Instacart Shopper app.
With this feature, you need to collect the authorized person’s name and phone number from the customer. After you create the fulfillment order, include this data in a create pickup delegate request.
Instacart configures your account so that tailored pickup notifications are sent via SMS to both the customer’s and the delegate’s phone number. The messages to delegates:
- Inform them that they've been authorized by the customer to pick up the order.
- Notify them when the order is ready for pickup.
- Provide a link to an order status and management application.
The delegate feature is currently not supported on the Instacart-hosted order status page.
Your order status and management application can get pickup instructions from Instacart and display them to delegates. If the pickup category is curbside, you can also provide a form for delegates to enter their vehicle's body type, make and model, color, and license plate number and then provide this data in a create vehicle information request.
After delegates inform the store of their arrival, create a user arrived record so that Instacart can provide their name, phone number, and (if applicable) vehicle information to store associates.
The following diagram provides a high-level overview of a curbside pickup flow that lets customers authorize a delegate:
The diagram does not include SMS notifications sent to customers.
For more information about a standard flow that doesn't involve a delegate, see Pickup flow.